[HHN 25 Discussion]

I have to echo what a lot of people are saying...  We went this year (our 18th year), but his will be our last for some time.  We used to be the hardcore fan that would go MANY times per season (despite living two hours away), but with the increased guests and prices, and the lack of more content has really driven us away.

we used to love all the websites and games, along with the Legndary Truth stuff for people like us (the hardcore fans).  I still cannot believe that it costs THAT much, so why did marketing get rid of it?  At the end, it was management simply not caring about ones loyal fans that was the last straw.

we went last Saturday, with an RIP tour.  If you only have one night to go and can afford it, it totally recommend it!  We got every house covered, and even did our four favorites three additional times!  However, this was our last "hoorah", so... Good to go out with a bang, as it were.

[HHN 25 Discussion]

So I've gone to HHN twice so far and have really enjoyed it, then I heard about the UMTH Tours. It's really Body Collectors, RUN, FVJ for the morning and TWD, Asylum, M&M in the afternoon? Can anyone confirm this 100%? I don't normally complain but I think half the houses on the tour are not even worth seeing, and of course they split them up so to see the ones I would want to see I'd have to buy both tours. I did the tour for the first time last year and loved it, but I may skip it this year if that is the true line up.

we did the 2pm tour Saturday  (the 26th) and we got M&M, FvsJ, and Body Collectors.  I was VERY happy with the houses we got on our tour!

[HHN 25 Discussion]

According to the website this sounds like the private RIP tour, and not the regular RIP tour. There's a big difference. The private tour is 1K+ total compared to the basic RIP which is $139.

Private RIP

 

• Priority UNLIMITED VIP entry to all haunted houses as well as two (2) regular park attractions while on tour with the RIP Tour Guide
• Universal ExpressSM ride access to participating regular theme park attractions, with the RIP Tour credential, following the tour (park hours permitting)

Standard RIP

• Priority VIP entry to all haunted houses (one entry per house)
• Universal ExpressSM ride access to participating regular theme park attractions, with the RIP Tour credential, following the tour (park hours permitting)

source: http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/orlando/rip-tours.html

that is correct.  As I said before, it comes out to roughly $120 per person.  The private RIP tour (like the one my party is doing) is indeed a little more than 1k (just under $1200 after taxes and such) And considering that 10 people are in the party, it IS about $120 per person.

as for what the website says:  as I said in my post... We called the guest services manager to make SURE what we were getting.  She said that the website is wrong and we would get front of the line, on everything, ALL night long.  

[HHN 25 Discussion]

I was under the impression that that was just for rides and not houses. At least that's what I remember the site saying.

the RIP tour is this:  you can either go that night and see if any spots are open (and if so, you will get lumped into a not-full group) or you 'buy' a whole 10-person group ahead of time.  Either way, it's roughly $120 per person, plus the price of the HHN event.

what you get:  you get a tour guide, that will walk you up to the front of EVERY house, every ride, and every show.  I am not sure about the 'open' group, but my private group for this Saturday starts at 6:30 and doesn't end till the park closes.  Just to be sure, we asked the guest services manager, and she said that the front of the line deal works ALL night, as often as we want.  From what i hear, You also get free valet parking as well as a private bar that we can go to buy drinks....

[HHN 25 Discussion]

The one thing I dislike about Express is the limited use. I understand only allowing one trip through each house with Express because of crowding, but there is not a more expensive express option (like the Express Plus sold during regular hours) that allows unlimited Express access to all houses. It really wouldn't be too hard to make these in a limited supply each night. I probably wouldn't invest in one anyway, but many people would appreciate the option, and it just means more money in Universal's wallet.

that is the RIP tour.  More expensive than the normal express, lasts ALL night, and is in limited supply.  You even get right into the rides, and have reserved seating at any shows you choose to watch.  I feel that if you have only one chance to go (like my group this year) and enough cash, this is the way to go!

[HHN 25 Discussion]

If you think you are paying to "skip" the lines, that is an assumption. It's called Express Pass...as in faster, not walking straight in. All you are promised is that you get to "skip the regular lines"...aka you get your own Express line. In fact, the EXACT description is"

• "Allows you to bypass the regular lines by providing Express Access to participating attractions.
• Express Access is a separate line with a shorter wait time at each valid attraction."

The Express times should be a percentage of the standard wait time, not 5-10 minutes max for everything. There are points in the night where the standby line would just sit at a stand-still non-stop to make sure that time range is met. You aren't guaranteed anything. You can disagree of course, but as I said I do use Express Pass every year at least once so agree to disagree. If you really want to completely skip both lines and be guaranteed to see everything, then you can pay more for a RIP Tour...As I said before though, if the event is getting to the point where wait times are getting rediculously long for both standby and EP, then they need to do something to offset it instead of just sitting there counting their money while people are growing increasingly unhappy and turning away from the event.

hey all!  Could have sworn I had an older account, but perhaps it was from the old Vault and/or Chainsaw Wolf.

 

Anyways, I've been lurking long enough and it is time to speak my mind a bit:  like so many others, I've seen the decline over the recent years, so we decided that THIS year will be our last (this marks 19 years for me and 21 for the wifey!) So we are going "in style"

in response to the above posts about wait times, if you are only going once like us, then pay what amounts to roughly  $120 more than the ticket, and go RIP tour.  It is not THAT much more than express, but it guarantees no wait times at ALL!  Granted, there are a finite amount of them per night, but it sure makes life SO much easier.

I seriously wonder if they "cap" the amount of express passes sold each night, or they just keep selling as long as people keep buying.

 

We will be there this Saturday  (26th), so I hope I see some of you peeps there!